French boxoffice admissions plummeted 10% in 2005 as compared with the previous year. Atotal 176 million tickets were sold in 2005 down from 196 million in 2004.

Top for theyear was the fourth Harry Potter installment with 7.284 million tickets soldfollowed by Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of TheSith with 7.245 million. Coming in at third, James Huth'scult French comedy Brice De Nice scored 4.377 million admissions.

Brice DeNice was the onlyFrench film to break the top ten while Cedric Klapisch'sRussian Dolls, US favorite March Of The Emperor and France's Oscar entry JoyeuxNoel performed well for the home team.

While 2004represented a 20 year record, 2005 still edged out 2003 in terms of performanceby 8%. The first half of 2005 was largely responsible for the drop with nearly88 million tickets sold versus a record 102 million in 2004.

France's exhibitors association, the FNCF,which announced the figures last week, put the drop down to a lackluster offercoupled with particularly clement weather throughout the year and a crowdedrelease schedule. In all, the top twenty films of 2005 saw 13 million feweradmissions than those of 2004.

WarnerBros. and UIP ran almost neck and neck for the top distributor slot. Warners, however, edged out the competition selling20,198,528 tickets helped largely by Harry Potter And TheGoblet Of Fire and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. MarsDistribution, meanwhile, was the winner for top independent French distributorthanks in part to the success of Russian Dolls.

Top TenFilms (source www.cbo-boxoffice.com)

Harry Potter And TheGoblet Of Fire,Warner Bros.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of TheSith, Fox

Charlie And TheChocolate Factory,Warner Bros.

War Of The Worlds, UIP

The Chronicles Of Narnia, BVI

Madagascar, UIP

Million Dollar Baby, Mars

Mr And Mrs Smith, SND

King Kong, UIP

Top TenLocal Films (source www.cbo-boxoffice.com)

Brice de Nice, TFM

Russian Dolls, Mars

Iznogoud, TFM

Palais Royal, Gaumont Columbia Tri Star

March Of The Emperor, BVI

Joyeux Noel, UGC

Espace Detente, ARP Selection

Tout Pour Plaire, Diaphana

Kirikou Et Les Betes Sauvages, Gebeka

Oliver Twist, Pathe

Top TenDistributors (source: www.cbo-boxoffice.com)

WarnerBros 17films 20,198,528admissions

UIP 29films 20,116,800admissions

BVIFrance 17 films14,301,243 admissions

Fox19 films 13,720,240admissions

TFM20 films 12,916,203admissions

Gaumont/ColumbiaTri Star 28films 12,506,030admissions

Mars27 films 11,260,892admissions

Pathe23 films 11,013,821admissions

Metropolitan25 films 6,884,996admissions

SND13 films 6,543,132admissions